Free! Drabbles
by MakeMeFree
Summary: Just a bunch of single chapter (maybe 2-chapter as well) stories that I've been inspired to right through music, books, life, whatever. Pairings will vary, or possibly not be a thing in general. Individual plots will be given at the beginning of each chapter, enjoy! Rating M for possible future chapters, though I will attempt to rate each individually.
1. Attempts on a Life

Plot: Rin attempts to understand why Makoto cares so much about his boyfriend, Haru. It turns out, there are a lot of things about Haru that no one but Makoto knows, and Haru is forever grateful for him. !Rated T for attempted suicide!

/

/

/

The sounds of bodies diving into water, splashes from hands and feet tearing through the blue. Makoto watched lovingly as Haru swam, his muscles straining beneath the surface of his skin, much like the water that was straining beneath his ferocity. Makoto knew why he was swimming so hard, swimming as if something were chasing him. In actuality, something _was_ chasing the raven-haired boy. Expectations, memories, thoughts. Everything that Haru seemed to be immune to, everything that he seemed to let roll off his shoulders, was never really ignored. Makoto could see it all, in his eyes. Every time they shared a glance, Makoto was able to see everything that occupied Haru's mind.

The backstroke swimmer suddenly felt something solid collide with his shoulder, and even though it did not hurt, he immediately turned and rubbed the spot that had been hit. Beside him, a tall redhead stood with a somewhat annoyed look on his face. Crimson eyes met green as Rin placed his hands on his hips after punching Makoto in the shoulder.

"Ow, Rin, that hurt!" Makoto whimpered, pouting slightly as he rubbed the slightly red mark that popped up on his tanned skin. Rin rolled his eyes, turning his gaze to where Haru was swimming along the members of Samezuka's swim team. Joint practices with Samezuka always put Rin and Haru on edge with each other. They were constantly racing, constantly trying – at least for Rin – to one up each other.

"I don't understand what you see in him." Rin sighed, shifting his weight onto one foot and crossing his toned arms over his chest. The shark tracked Haru's every movement; the stroke of his arms, kicks of his legs, the way his body seemed to fly through the water. Makoto watched Rin for a moment, chuckling softly before turning his eyes back to Haru.

"I see everything in him, Rin-chan." The brunette replied, his eyes softening at the sight of Haru's standing in the water, in front of the diving block. He was breathing hard, leaning his back against the wall to catch his breath. The Samezuka swimmers reached their starting blocks as Haru leaned against the wall, causing Rin to huff in frustration at the time gap. The redhead turned back to Makoto, registering what his friend had said.

"Everything? All I ever see is you doing everything for him, and he doesn't do shit." Rin snorted, earning Makoto's gaze. Makoto's smile grew a bit, his eyes seeming like a small fire had sparked in them.

"Have you ever seen Haru, Rin-chan?" Rin looked at Makoto incredulously, eyes narrowed in a way that was meant to convey the thought of Makoto being idiotic.

"Of course I have, I see him right now." Rin replied, looking back at the pool as Nagisa and Rei dove in, along with Momo and Ai. Makoto chuckled again, earning an annoyed growl from Rin.

"I'm sorry, Rin. I know you've literally seen him, but you haven't _seen_ Haru. If I weren't with him, he wouldn't be here right now." Makoto said, a bit more softly. Haru had gotten out of the water, though did not appear done swimming. Makoto could see him out of the corner of his eye, getting ready on the starting block with Captain Mikoshiba on the one beside him.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Rin snapped, not comprehending at all what Makoto meant.

"You've never asked him about himself, have you? If you did, he would tell you. You're his best friend," Makoto answered, now watching Haru and Mikoshiba ripping through the water.

"What is there about him that I don't know? I know he has a fucking weird obsession with water and mackerel, and for some reason you love him." Rin adjusted his arms over his chest, watching Makoto who was watching Haru.

"Well,"

 _ **/Flashback: Haru & Makoto age 5/**_

The sky was turning grey as rain laden clouds crawled over Iwatobi. They threatened to spill any second, however, Haru was still standing outside. He stared down at his feet, looking at the slab of granite in front of him with his grandmother's name written beautifully in gold kanji. Tears streamed silently down his pink tinged cheeks, his fists clenched at his sides. Haru wore black pants and a black button up shirt, though his feet were bare. The grass beneath his toes was soft and cool, the smell of rain on the wind. Haru felt like his heart was being torn out of his chest, like someone had reached in and was ripping it apart, vein by vein. Thunder rumbled distantly in the still darkening sky, but the boy did not budge.

He heard footsteps from somewhere behind him, a child's voice and an adult's voice speaking to one another.

"Mother, it's going to rain!" a young boy announced, his footsteps quicker in order to keep up with his mother.

"I know dear, but we must come pay our respects to Grandma Nanase." Haru felt his entire body tense, angrily wiping the tears away from his eyes. He suddenly felt a small hand on his shoulder, causing him to turn around.

"Why are you out here with no shoes? You'll catch a cold!" the young boy, a brunette with the gentlest green eyes, spoke with worry. Haru looked down at his feet, feeling the tears well up in his azure eyes before he looked back up slightly at the other boy.

"I-I don't know h-how to t-tie m-my shoes," Haru replied shakily. The boy in front of him gave him a sad smile, but Haru felt somewhat at ease. This boy, he was like warm sunshine cutting through the cold, lonely darkness. The boy looked up at his mother, who smiled softly back at him.

"My name is Tachibana Makoto," he said, turning back to Haru.

"Nanase Haruka," Haru replied, feeling his throat get tight when he said his name. "Call me Haru," he added. Makoto smiled a bit more, taking Haru's hand in his. The blue-eyed boy's eyes widened, looking at Makoto with some surprise.

"I'm sorry," Makoto said gently, his small hand squeezing Haru's.

"Would you like us to take you home, Haru?" Makoto's mother asked sweetly, gently brushing Haru's hair out of his face. The smaller boy nodded quietly, squeezing Makoto's hand as well.

"And I can show you how to tie your shoes! That way you won't get sick!" Makoto said a bit excitedly. Haru looked at Makoto, blue staring into green. It was then that Haru realized, everything was going to be alright. He had someone, though they just met, he had someone to stand by him. He could feel it.

Unable to contain it, through his tears, Haru smiled.

"Okay."

 _ **/Present/**_

Rin listened quietly to the story Makoto told, watching Haru and his own captain climb out of the pool. By the end of the story, Haru had beaten Mikoshiba and they were now talking (or as much as Haru talks to people he doesn't know). Makoto felt warmth in his chest, recounting the day that he and Haru had first met. That first smile Haru ever gave him.

"I still don't understand. You became friends over something tragic, which is sweet. But I don't understand why he wouldn't be here, without you." Rin had dropped his hands back to his hips, watching Haru walk around the pool toward them.

"Makoto." Haru said, stopping in front of them. Said boy looked at Haru, closing his eyes and smiling warmly.

"Good swim, Haru-chan. Why don't you change, and we can get Nagisa and Rei?" Makoto suggested, earning a nod from the freestyle boy. Rin watched the two closely before speaking to Haru.

"I want a rematch tomorrow, Haru." Rin challenged, grinning wide enough to expose his sharp teeth. Haru turned to Rin, Makoto suppressing a grin.

"Good luck." The Iwatobi swimmer replied, a somewhat cocky grin gracing his face for a moment before he walked away toward Samezuka's locker room. Rin growled in frustration, gesturing aggressively toward Haru as he walked away.

"How do you put up with that?" he demanded, simply causing Makoto to laugh. The boys noticed that the practice was coming to an end, everyone climbing out of the pool and toweling off, chatting. Rin ran his fingers through his damp hair, getting ready to move toward the locker room to change.

"Just talk to him one day." Makoto said before exchanging goodbyes with his friend. Makoto stood there for a moment, recounting a past experience that had caused him and Haru to become closer than ever before.

 _ **/Flashback: Makoto & Haru age 14/**_

"Haru! Are you awake?" Makoto called, knocking on the front door of the Nanase's residence. This had become a habit, ever since the boys had met nine years prior. Makoto could come over every morning, make sure Haru was prepared for school, and then walk with his best friend to their destination. One thing that had never changed, was the front door was unlocked. The brunette sighed, opening the door and taking off his shoes before stepping on the dark wood floor. He shut the door slightly loudly behind him, hoping that Haru would hear and if he was not decent, would give Makoto some indication of such.

Contrary to what most people experience with Haru, is that he does enjoy talking. In fact, some days Makoto has a tough time getting him to be quiet for a few minutes. Around others, Haru did not want to express himself, he did not feel compelled to have conversations with any other person, except Makoto. Ever since they met, Haru opened up to Makoto about anything and everything. No one ever believed Makoto when he would tell them that his friend had gone on an hour long tangent one day about how to properly cook mackerel. Makoto had found the entire ordeal hilarious as well as endearing.

Makoto walked through the main hallway of the house, heading to where he knew with almost one hundred percent certainty where Haru would be.

"Haru, are in you in the tub? I'm coming in!" he called before opening the door to the bathroom. He paused however, feeling something behind the door that was causing it to not open all the way. He pushed a little harder, confirming to himself that something was behind the door.

"Haru?" he called again, able to see from the small opening he had made with the door that his best friend was not seated in the bathtub like usual. This immediately stood out to the brunette as abnormal. Something was definitely not right. Haru was _always_ in the tub when he got there, without fail. Wedging the door open slightly more, Makoto managed to get it open enough to where he could poke his head in, along with about half his body. Swimming and being so active with Haru all the time had caused Makoto's muscles to grow quickly, giving him a much more masculine physique quite early on. After he was able to get his head and most of his body through the door, he looked down to see what was stopping him from coming all the way inside.

Fear and panic surged through him like fire, his heart pounding. Haru was laying on the floor behind the door, online wearing his swim jammers. He was lying face down, his body in a position that looked as if he had attempted to go to the door, perhaps to lock it, before collapsing.

"Haru!" Makoto shouted his friends name, carefully pushing himself through the doorway and kneeling down. He pulled Haru into his lap, holding him tightly to his chest.

"Haru, please look at me?" he begged, gently shaking the unconscious boy. Frantically looking around, Makoto attempting search for something, anything that could help or give him some indication of what had happened. Green eyes quickly scanned the counter, and he felt his breath hitch. Two things sat on the counter, closest to Haru's current position. Two things that were not usually in the bathroom with Haru, and Makoto knew that. On the counter sat his cellphone, and Haru's antidepressants that he had been prescribed a few years after his grandmother's death. The bottle of pills was laying, open, on it's side and Makoto could see inside of it.

It was entirely empty.

Makoto reached up to the counter and quickly grabbed Haru's cellphone, seeing that the screen was still on with a text message he had been about to send.

 **To: Mako**

 **I'm sorry, Mako. I can't do this anymore.**

 **From: Haru**

 **Time: 7:30am**

Tears stung Makoto's eyes, as Haru had been about to send this message to him almost half an hour prior. The brunette immediately dialed the emergency services, praying that they would come in time. After he hung up, he began to cry. Tears rolled down his face, falling heavily onto Haru's.

"Please don't leave me, Haru. I need you, I can't lose you," he cried, hugging his precious friend to his chest. He could feel Haru's lungs expanding and contracting, the time in between getting longer with each breath he took. Makoto knew that if he had come even a few minutes later, his friend would not be breathing. There would be no hope to save him. After the emergency services came, everything was a blur. Makoto could not remember running home and telling his parents to follow the ambulance, he could not remember running into the hospital to find his best friend. What he could remember, was Haru in the hospital bed, IV's in his arm, and an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth. He remembers Haru waking up, and what he said.

"Mako, thank you. I love you, I'm sorry."

 _ **/Present/**_

"Mako?" a familiar voice snapped said boy out of his thoughts, causing him to look down at Haru. Nagisa and Rei were a few meters behind him, chatting with Ai and Momo as they made their way over.

"I'm sorry, Haru-chan. I was just thinking." Makoto smiled, taking a shirt that Haru offered him and pulling it on. Haru reached into his duffle bag, digging out a pair of Makoto's sweatpants as well and watching his love pull them over his jammers. The two looked at each other for a long moment, before they both smiled.

"Mako, I love you." Haru said quietly. Makoto smiled more, leaning down and placing a soft, warm kiss against Haru's forehead. The taller boy put his arm around Haru's shoulders, drawing him closer.

"I love you too, Haru."


	2. Secret

Plot: Haru and Gou leave swim practice together and the other boys want to know where they're going! Apparently, they have a secret that they've been keeping! *Kind of fluffy MakoHaru if you squint*

/

The sun beat down relentlessly, sending reflected rays of light up from the surface of the water. Only one person was swimming, the rest of the swim club sitting with their legs in the water, enjoying the way the sun dried the water on their bodies.

"Ne, Haru?" a warm voice called, bringing the swimming individual to a halt. The black-haired boy stood up in the water, removing his cap and goggles. Cerulean eyes met emerald, sharing a silent conversation.

"Mako-chan, tell Haru to get out of the pool! I wanna go get ice cream!" the blond beside Makoto whined, gently kicking his feet in the water. Makoto smiled at his younger friend, moving to stand up. Nagisa grinned in triumph and stood up, stretching his arms above his head. The third boy that was sitting beside them sighed and stood up, adjusting his red glasses on his nose.

"Nagisa-kun, did you not eat but an hour ago?" the bespectacled boy asked, hands on his hips. The blond pouted, bouncing slightly on the balls of his bare feet.

"Yeah, but Rei-chan! It's so hot outside, and we just swam for a long time!" he countered. Makoto laughed softly at his friends, turning his endearing smile toward his best friend. Haru, who still stood in the water, frowned slightly. He walked to the edge of the pool, purposely taking his time so that he could enjoy the refreshing feeling of water on his skin for as long as possible. Makoto leaned down, reaching his hand out to Haru with a softer smile. Haru hummed in discontent before grabbing the outstretched hand and climbing out of the pool.

Each boy grabbed their towel, drying off their bodies and hair. A yawn escaped Haru then, something that was unusual after swimming, regardless of the massive effort it took to swim for an hour straight.

"Are you tired, Haru-chan?" Makoto asked, tilting his head slightly. Said boy glanced up at the brunette who spoke, blue eyes expressing his drowsiness but not saying much more.

"Lay off the -chan." Haru mumbled. The four walked into their locker room, each grabbing their clothes to change in to. Makoto watched Haru from the corner of his eye, seeing him pull a azure tank top on over his head and black sweatpants over his now dry jammers. A smile crept onto Makoto's face as he took in the sight of a casual Haru. It was not his typical outfit, but it definitely suited him. The brunette admired his best friend's arms and shoulders, able to see the faint outline of his torso through the loose tank top.

"Mako-chan, stop staring at Haru-chan! It's rude!" Nagisa shouted, playfully jumping up and covering Makoto's eyes with his hands. Makoto faltered, slightly tripping over his own feet and falling partially against the wall.

"Gah! Nagisa, stop that! I was not staring!" he rambled. Nagisa laughed, removing his hands and bouncing over to Rei, whom he latched onto. With a flustered blush across his face, Makoto righted himself and shyly looked at Haru. Makoto opened his mouth to ask if they were ready to go, though was interrupted by the door to the locker room flying open.

"Haru!" a feminine voice called, the figure of Gou in the doorway. At the suddenness of the door and voice, Makoto and Nagisa screamed, the blond hiding partially behind Rei while Makoto sought comfort behind Haru. Gou glanced at each boy, eyes landing ultimately on the one she called out.

"Can you walk me home? Rin can't today and he told me to ask you." She said flatly, hands on her hips. She was not wearing the school uniform, instead, she had on black leggings and a top that had the sleeves and sides cut, exposing her skin on both sides and showing that she also wore a grey sports bra. The shirt was a deep red, with a black brand name on the front. Makoto, Rei, and Nagisa shared a look before turning to Haru, who was slipping on his sneakers.

"Fine." He replied shortly. Makoto watched Haru, noticing how his best friend did not seem tense or generally opposed to walking Gou home, which was abnormal. Haru never really enjoyed being around other people unless it was absolutely necessary, and unless Makoto was with him. Crossing his arms loosely, Makoto looked down in thought, something clicking in his head though he was not sure where it would lead.

"Wait, Haru-chan! What about ice cream?" Nagisa complained. The blue-eyed boy sighed, looking over at his best friend, who smiled.

"We'll come over to your place later, Haru-chan." Makoto confirmed, earning a pleased look from Nagisa and another sigh from Rei. Haru turned and followed Gou out of the locker room, walking beside her down the sidewalk.

"Okay, so that's odd." Rei said once the two were out of earshot.

"What do you mean?" Makoto asked. Each boy picked up their bags and left the building, walking in a row down the sidewalk.

"Why would Haruka-senpai walk Gou-chan home? You know Rin is too overprotective for that to happen." Rei speculated, earning wondering looks from Makoto and Nagisa.

"Have you guys noticed that he always leaves early recently every Tuesday and Friday?" Makoto pointed out, bringing earlier realizations up to his friends.

"Well then, I say we follow them!" Nagisa suggested, mischief in his pink eyes. Makoto contemplated for a moment about whether following them was right or wrong. It definitely felt off, seeing as Haru would never willingly go anywhere with anybody aside from Makoto. That was simply a fact that every one of their friends knew. Makoto could feel eyes on him, his decision meant to be the final choice in what they would do.

"Alright. But, we can't let them know." Makoto nodded, looking at Rei and Nagisa in turn. The other two nodded, grins present on their faces. The boys quickly made their way down the street, heading into the area of town where the train station was. The looked around, attempting to track down where Haru and Gou currently were. Nagisa excitedly grabbed Makoto's shirt, pointing across the sidewalk to the two subjects of their investigation. Makoto nodded, getting Rei's attention as well. They crossed the street, staying a good distance behind the pair as they walked. Makoto could tell that Gou was talking, and to his surprise, Haru seemed to be responding a bit.

Makoto felt his heart clench at Gou losing her footing, falling toward the street where cars were driving –at Makoto thought was—rather quickly. Haru reached out instinctively, arm wrapping around Gou's waist and pulling her into him. The three swim club boys faintly heard Haru asking if she was alright, which made them look at one another in disbelief.

"Did Haru get brainwashed or something? This is not our Haru-chan!" Nagisa said worriedly, unsure of how to react to Haru's actions. Makoto was dumbfounded, staring at them begin walking again, though Haru's arm stayed loosely around Gou's waist, probably to ensure that she would not fall again. Rei gasped suddenly, placing a hand tightly on Nagisa's shoulder.

"Maybe they are dating?" he asked, looking up at Makoto. Green eyes hardened immediately at the thought. Haru would not date Gou, Haru was never interested in her. In fact, he frequently found her annoying. They couldn't be dating, right?

"Let's keep going before we lose them." Makoto said sternly, beginning to walk again with the other two beside him. They stopped when Haru and Gou turned an entered a building, the door closing behind them. They stood outside the door, staring at the glaring neon sign that read "Dance."

"Oi, what are you guys doing here?" a familiar, sharp voice called out. A maroon haired boy stood a few steps away, hands in the pockets of his black and red jacket.

"Rin? Why are you here?" Makoto asked, tilting his head slightly. The shark frowned, nodding his head toward the building.

"Gou wouldn't tell me where she was going, so I followed her. Didn't know Haru was with her." He replied.

"But, Gou-chan said that you asked her to have Haru walk her home." Rei replied, attempting to understand the situation. As the four swimmers stood outside, they heard music begin to play faintly from inside. With a shared nod, the boys entered the building and followed the music. They walked along a short hallway that had windows along one entire wall. The windows allowed onlookers to watch what apparently was a dance studio. Light brown wooden floors, floor to ceiling length mirrors along the opposite wall, and a somewhat large group of people either standing or sitting to the sides of the room. As the music pulsed through the room, the four watched a small group of younger kids dance to the song in an excellently choreographed way.

The music changed, and the boys gasped when they saw their friends walk into the middle of the room to replace the group that had just danced. Haru and Gou went with the music, an English song that was becoming popular called _Shape of You_. Makoto watched Haru intently, his green eyes taking in every movement Haru made. He noticed that both Haru and Gou were giving different facial expressions, making sense with the music and giving off a comfortable and free-feeling vibe.

"What in the hell?" Rin asked softly, admiring the two as they moved, finding himself getting lost in the music himself. Nagisa was bouncing up on his toes, hands clasped over his mouth and eyes wide with pure excitement. The song was coming to an end from what the boys understood of the lyrics, and none of them had anything to stay. Haru and Gou stopped, breathing hard and smiling at each other. Makoto felt a smile spread across his face, tears in his eyes as he watched his best friend raise a hand up, receiving an excited high five from the redhead he danced with.

' _He's letting himself have fun, make friends…'_ Makoto thought, blinking back the happy tears that had flooded his eyes.

"Oh shit, he's coming to the door!" Rin hissed, shoving the other three further down the hallway until they rounded a corner. Haru exited the room, tugging his tank top off over his head. Sweat glistened on his fair skin and he wiped his face with his top. Tugging his phone out of his pocket, he grinned down at his phone as he sent a text. The four swimmers watched their friend until he replaced his phone in his pocket and went back into the room.

Makoto felt his phone buzz in his pocket, pulling it out and unlocking the screen. A text message glared up at him, causing the smile on his face to grow wider.

 **To: Mako**

 **Glad it's not a secret anymore. Been wanting to show you.**

 **From: Haru**

The simple text was all Makoto needed to walk back out into the hallway. He heard his friends quietly shouting at him to come back, but the brunette had no intention of listening. He stood at the window, Haru fully facing him in the center of the room. He seemed to be guiding a few of the other students in a dance, though he was not taking it slowly. He danced with a smile plastered on his face, a heavy bass booming from the room. Haru looked straight at Makoto, eyes locking briefly to make Makoto understand.

Tonight could be an interesting night.

/

A/N: Now that I re-read this one (I've tried writing it a few times) I see that it might be interesting as a full story! It won't go this way, but the idea is the same. Let me know what you think of this one!


End file.
